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Tocilizumab Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of tocilizumab include rheumatoid arthritis, off label use, and pain, based on 115,903 FDA adverse event reports from 2005 to 2025. 30.3% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Tocilizumab side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for tocilizumab.

1
Drug Ineffective30.3%35,069
2
Rheumatoid Arthritis19.3%22,362
3
Off Label Use17.4%20,111
4
Pain17.2%19,917
5
Arthralgia14.7%17,002
6
Joint Swelling13.8%16,002
7
Fatigue13.0%15,037
8
Rash11.6%13,429
9
Drug Intolerance11.1%12,861
10
Contraindicated Product Administered10.3%11,897
11
Arthropathy9.2%10,660
12
Alopecia9.1%10,503
13
Abdominal Discomfort8.9%10,330
14
Synovitis8.9%10,295
15
Swelling8.8%10,238

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that tocilizumab caused these reactions.

Report severity

77.7%Serious90,051 reports
26.4%Hospitalizations30,643 reports
10.4%Fatal12,060 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Tocilizumab drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside tocilizumab. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Methotrexate32.8%38,058
2
Etanercept29.3%33,906
3
Abatacept26.7%30,889
4
Adalimumab25.9%30,041
5
Leflunomide23.5%27,277
6
Rituximab23.2%26,836
7
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate22.6%26,246
8
Infliximab19.8%22,955
9
Sulfasalazine16.4%18,952
10
Certolizumab-pegol15.3%17,743
11
Golimumab14.5%16,765
12
Prednisone14.4%16,720
13
Tofacitinib11.7%13,555
14
Folic-acid9.8%11,397
15
Alendronate-sodium9.7%11,298

Taken alongside

1
Prednisone14.9%17,302
2
Methotrexate10.8%12,514
3
Acetaminophen10.1%11,682
4
Tofacitinib8.7%10,121
5
Folic-acid7.9%9,134
6
Pantoprazole-sodium7.5%8,662
7
Hydroxychloroquine-sulfate7.3%8,441
8
Sulfasalazine6.2%7,232
9
Leflunomide5.7%6,619
10
Ibuprofen5.6%6,502
11
Ergocalciferol4.9%5,694
12
Levothyroxine-sodium3.7%4,342
13
Prednisolone3.7%4,251
14
Methylprednisolone3.6%4,165
15
Diclofenac3.4%3,901

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports tocilizumab side effects

68.4% of tocilizumab adverse event reports involve female patients and 19.6% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 61%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female68.4%
Male19.6%
Unknown12.1%

Age group

< 20.5%
2–112.5%
12–172.0%
18–6461.5%
65+33.4%

What is tocilizumab used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking tocilizumab when the adverse event was reported.

Abscess SterileAcneAcquired Amegakaryocytic ThrombocytopeniaAcute Chest SyndromeAcute Febrile Neutrophilic DermatosisAcute Graft Versus Host DiseaseAcute Graft Versus Host Disease In LiverAcute Graft Versus Host Disease In SkinAcute Haemorrhagic LeukoencephalitisAcute Kidney InjuryAcute Left Ventricular FailureAcute LeukaemiaAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAcute Lymphocytic Leukaemia RecurrentAcute Lymphocytic Leukaemia Refractory

Showing 15 of 1,409 indications

Tocilizumab brand names and reporting trend

Tocilizumab is sold under brand names including Actemra, Tofidence, Tyenne.

Brand names

Actemra53,316
Tofidence15
Tyenne2

Quarterly reports (20052025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking tocilizumab with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.